Electrical apparatus



1941- c. L. MATTHEWS arm. 2,265,739

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed Oct. 7, 1939 FIGS. CQau-AQ Mel/W N PatentedDec. 9 194.1

emc'rarcar. mans-rue Claude L. Matthews, Theodore Birkenmaler, andMarion M. Birkenmaier, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to W. N. MatthewsCorporation, St. Louis, Mo., acorporation of Missouri ApplicationOctober 7, 1939, Serial No. 298,448

70laims.

This invention relates to electrical apparatus, and with regard tocertain more specific features, to electrical line protection apparatus.

Our invention is an improvement upon the apparatus disclosed in thepatent application of Claude L. Matthews, Serial No. 293,167, filedSeptember 2, 1939, for Electrical apparatus.

Among the several objects of the invention may b noted the provision ofimproved means for obtaining resiliency in the horizontal supporting armof the apparatus disclosed in said application; the provision ofapparatus'of this class which will predeterminately limit downwardmovement of said arm, and which will provide for controlled upwardmovement; and the provision of apparatus of the class described which issimple in construction and reliable in operation. Other objects will bein part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the. following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are illustrated two of variouspossible embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a hinged joint of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 5 is a. horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

In Figs. 8-10 of said Matthews application, there is shown aconstruction wherein a fuse holder is dependingly supported within asocket arranged at the end of a flexible cantilever arm which extendsfrom an insulator support. The present invention relates to this generaltype of support, with improvements.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 herein, there is shown atnumeral a line wire car ried upon an insulator 3, the insulator beingsuitably supported. The line wire I is held to the insulator by means ofsuitable anchor wires I.

A U-bolt 9 surrounds the insulator and in clamping cooperation with asaddle portion ll Otherwise, the spring member 2| has limited freedombetween the members I3 and I1 and functions as a cantilever. The spring2| extends outward (to the right in Figs. 1 and 2) a distance beyondsaid members l3 and I1. There is riveted at 25 a supporting member 21which at its lower end forms a socket for a removable depending fuseholder F. The description of said socket and fuse holder F has been setforth in detail in said application and also in United States Patent2,103,056, dated December 21, 1937, wherein it is claimed per se.

At 29 is provided means for supporting a wire clamp 3| for a shuntconductor 33 which extends to a suitable connection with the line wireI. The wire 33 constitutes a shunt with respect to the supporting spring2|, and connects between the line wire I and the fuse holder F. Thelatter is free at its lower end except that it is connected to a workcircuit by a suitable wire, as desired. The character of the free lowerend and the work-circuit wire connection permitting the desired movementis shown for example in said United States Patent 2,103,056. It is to beunderstood that the portion of the conductor 33 between connection 29and the line wire I is flexible enough to accommodate the motions to bedescribed.

Upon an expulsive action occuring in the fuse holder F there arises anupward force on the holder 21 which forces it upwardly, thus flexing thespring 2|. The movement is limited by the fact that the springsequentially contacts increased areas on the curved portion I9 of themember l1 and conforms itself more or less to the shape of that member.After the expulsive force has been spent, gravity and return action ofthe spring cause it to assume the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Anyvibratory tendency is rapidly damped out. The tongue I! prevents localstresses at or near the end of the arm H.

The advantage of the above resilient construc- 3; aaearsa tion over thatshown in said Matthews application is that the vibratory action isdamped out sooner and the support is better.

In Figs. 3-5 is'shown an alternative form or the inventionin which likenumerals designate like parts. In this case there is provided on thesaddle portion Ii an inner extension arm 85 which at its end carries aclevis 81. .A pin 39 through the clevis 31 serves to form a pivot jointfor an outer extension arm 48. The arm M at its outer end carries themember N which forms the socket-like support for the fuse holder F.

Depending from the inner arm 85 is a first lever arm 43 and dependingfrom the outer arm 4| is a second lever arm 45.- These lever arms arebiased toward one another by means of atension spring 41 looped throughsuitable openings in the arms.

Extending toward one another from the arms 43 and 45 are fingers 49 andM, respectively; which, as shown in Fig. 5, cooperate at a vshaped line55. The hollow V-shape 53 on the finger 49 serves as a guide to receivethe solid V-shape 51. This forms positive stop means. The operation ofthe alternative form is as follows:

When an expulsion occurs in the fuse F, the upward force exerted uponmember 2? causes the outer extending arm 4! to pivot upwardly around thepin 89. This causes separation (or rotary angling) of the arms 43 and45, with a consequent stretching and tensioning of the spring 41., :Atthe same time, the guide members 53..a'nd 5'! are separated. After theforce of thdexpulsion has been spent, the contracting action of thespring 41 draws down the arm 4i and causes the portion 5? to be guidedby and seat in the portion 53. As in the form oftheinvention shown inFigs. 1 and 2 the form shown in Figs. 3-5 provides for a substantiallimitation upon the downward motion of the part after an expulsiveaction.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

We claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, an upper support for a dependingexpulsion fuse, the support being adapted to receive the reaction due toexpulsion, comprising a laterally cantilever arm formed of a spring,means for anchoring said arm at one end, and a rigid member locatedabove the arm and co-planar atone region and diverging therefrom,whereby the arm is limited in its springing action by backing from saiddiverging member during expulsion.

extendin 2. In apparatus of the class described, an upper support for adepending expulsion fuse, the support being adapted to receive thereaction due to expulsion, comprising a laterally extending arm backingfrom said diverging member during ex-' pulsion.

3. In apparatus of the class described, an upper support for 9.depending expulsion member, the

support being adapted to receive the reactive force of expulsion,comprising an inner arm, a

pivoted outer arm for said supporting'member,

depending arms respectively from said inner and outer arms, spring meansjoining said depending arms, and positive stop means between saiddepending arms.

4. In apparatus of the class described, an upper support for 9.depending expulsion member, the support being adapted to receive-thereactive force of expulsion, comprising an inner arm, a pivoted outerarm for said supporting member, depending spring means tensioning saiddepending arms, and positive stop means limiting said tensioning action.

5. In apparatus of the class described, an inner, laterally extendingarm, an outer, laterally extending arm pivoted thereto, said last-namedarm having an upper support for a depending expulsive fuse holder at itsouter end, depending arms extending downwardly respectively from saidlaterally extending arms, a tensioned coil spring biasing said dependingarms toward one another, cooperating stop means extending from thedepending arms and having cooperating guide surfaces for effecting alimiting stop.

6. Line protection apparatus comprising a 1 cantilever member, saidcantilever member being normally biased to a downward position, adepending fuse holder supported thereby, and stop means forsubstantially definitely determining the downward position of thecantilever member in response to the weight of said depending fuseholder.

7. Line protection apparatus comprising a cantilever member, saidcantilever member being normally biased to a downward position, adepending fuse holder supported thereby, stop means for substantiallydefinitelydetermining the downward position of the cantilever member inresponse to the weight of said depending fuse holder, and means forsubstantially definitely dete the upward motion of the cantilever memberin response to its fuse action in the fuse holder. v

CLAUDE L. MATTHEWS.

THEODORE Im- MARION M. BIRKENMAIER.

